Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-10-30

the sea shore, and the animal had beer
dashing madly about on the plain, circliny
and zigzagging here and there withou
drawing any nearer to the water. Sud
denly, tongueless and sightless, and tot
tering and rapidly weakening under b.
myriad wounds, he wheeled, turned hi
head toward the ocean and, gatherin,
himself as if for a last desperate effort
dashed madly in that direction
Plungipg and reeling onward and still
pursued by every rayenous vulture the dy'
ing steer rushed straght for the surf. II,
reached the margin Of the sea and fell deaC
with his head in the waves. Instantly {
score of beaks were tearing the dead
animals flesh from his bones. spurreC
my horse forward and gallopei to the spo
where the vultures were stripping the car
cass. When reached the beach the great
birds rose lszily, one after another, from
the feast and ioatcd upward in obliqut
circle until they were mere specks against
the snowy SUBMITS of the Andes A skele
ton, half submerged by the tide, marked
where the tortured steer had fallen, When
| returned across the plain vindictiye vii
layers were kicking the three lssSoed con
doris about and stamping them into tbs
ground, Kissing curses between their teeth
at every kick. In the distance the lately
disturbed herd was grazing quietly, as il
no condor had ever threatened the peace Of
its domain.
These raids of condors on pasturing
cattle, was told by the villagers, were
not uncommon. A herd hsrrassed by the
birds was not followed by the mounted
herdsmen with any hope or intention OF
routing the vultures or saving the cattle
they might cut off from the drove, but to
prevent general stampede. As soon a
one or two, or perhaps three or four cattle
in herd were forced out Of it BY group
of condors, the whole field OF birds Joined
in the pursuit of them and left the herd
| to itself
Chasing the condor with the lasso fol
pleasure was the leading sport of the
Gillian plains when | was in that country,
but | am told that these birds have
become SO wary now that the lassc
chase is rare. Thirty years age
the condor had developed no evi.
dence of cunning When days sport al
condor lassoing was desired the carcass OF
a steer, a horse or dog was carried out
on the plain. Strong stakes were then
driven five or six inches apart in the
ground about the carcass, until an enclos.
ure six or seven feet high and ten feet
square, with gate at one side, WAS made.
Long before the work of making this en-.
closure could be finished c0ndors could he
seen floating down from the clouds, fan
above which they make their haunts As
| long as the workmen were busy at the en-.
closure the birds would sail overhead. The
instant the coast was clear OF men, dow u
the MIXTURES would drop, and in few
seconds would he tearing at the bait.
AN EXCITING DAY.
at is no uncommon thing for a mature
condor to have fifteen-foot spread OF
wing. Their bodies are very heavy, and
on the ground the bird is clumsy. 1t can.
not rise for flight without running rapidly
forward fifty yards or so, to give it neces,
sary momentum, especially if it is gorged
with food, which it always will be if food
can be obtained. Az consequence, every
condor that alighted in one of these en-
closures was as much prisoner as If be
were chained down to the ground
and the sportsman kept him there
to serve his pleasure. When he wanted
to ride after n condor the owner Of the pen
generally with friend or two similarly
equipped, mounted fleet horse, fastened
his lariat to the saddle and rode to the en-
closure, An attendant opened the gate Of
the prison and let out condor for each
| huntsman. The coIdors at liberty, they
at once started at the top of their speed to
take the long run that would enable them
to rise on the wing, and after they had
made one-quartcr of the distance the
huntsmen put spurs to their horses
and dashed after. As the bird,
rose from the ground with wings spread
the lasso was thrown. An expert
laSsOer would send his moose over the con
doris head, and so manage it that it would
slip down until it touched the wings before
it frightened on the bird. The condor wat
a prisoner, but able to use his wings
breathe freely and lead, at the end of the
lasso, the horseman wild chase across tn,
plain. When the hOrseman tired OF thu
SPORT, unless the condor became exhausted
before. he would turn his horse about and
lead the chase himself, forcing the unwill
ing bird along until it tumbled exhausted
to the ground and was dragged to death al
the horses heels. | never could under
stand why a condor, captive like that, did
not turn on both man and horse and at
| track them as he would steer in the very
presence Of the herdsmen. Once in 4
while lariat would break while the
horseman was brscing his horse against
some desperate sweep Of the condor, and
then both horse and rider would pitch vic,
lently to the ground and the suddenly re-
leased bird dart upward like cannon
ball tried the sport but once. | lassoed
my bird, tremendous fellow, but tight.
ened the moose on his windpipe. That shut
off his breath at once, and after darling
about in the air in crazy sort of way tOI
minute or two he rose up straight
as far ~ the rope would let him,
gave gasp like the safety valve Of loco
motive and shot down upon me as straight
as plumb bob. The bird must have
weighed $50 pounds and when he struck
me was endorsed in fash One foot re
manned in the stirrup. My horse, natu
rally frightened, started off like mad
dragging me along The condor. which
was as dead az stone and smelt like q
breeze off of Barren Island, lay right on tor
of me. Fortunately the ground was soft
and one of my fellow huntsmen wa
maneuvring with condor some distance
ahead of me He caught my runaway
horse and rescued me wasn't hurt much,
but lassoed no more condors"
"Pa," said New Hampshire farmers
daughter, "the LATEST tramp | ever saw